Culture Minister ‘bats’ for NCC board

CULTURE MINISTER Joan Yuille-Williams has launched a campaign for the re-appointment of the entire Board of Directors of the National Carnival Commission (NCC). In a media release over the weekend, the Minister gave her unconditional support to the management style of the NCC and stated her “highest satisfaction,” for the work of the directors who served for the past three years. She gave her blessings for the team to serve the 2004-2007 term.

Minister Yuille-Williams said: “It is my pleasure to recommend to Cabinet, that the current commissioners be retained for a new term. The members of the nine-member board standing for renewal at the end of their three-year appointment since 2001 are: Chairman Kenneth De Silva, deputy chairman Ainsworth Mohammed, Sigler Jack, Keston Nancoo, Paula Artherley, Michael Genty and representatives of Special Interest Groups for mas, pan and calypso.”

Newsday understands that the process of appointing the NCC board will not take priority at Wednesday’s meeting of Cabinet, as Government attempts to gather Opposition support for the controversial Police Reform Bills, as part of its crime fighting efforts. The NCC board’s term of office expired in January 2004, but was extended to accommodate the successful staging of the national Carnival festival. That extension expired on April 30, when formality required that the board resign. NCBA president Richard Afong could not be reached for comment.